A Contract
by Selenity Jade
Summary: An AU Chrno/Rosette fic in which she and Joshua never found Chrno. Instead, the person who sealed Chrno awakens him and asks for help thanks to a little prodding by a nun. When the contract occurs, side effects start happening and it goes downhill.
1. Prologue

_**A Contract**  
Prologue  
__By Selenity Jade  
Rated: M_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chrno Crusade nor am I making money off of this. If I was do you think I'd be posting it up on fanfiction sites?

**Pairing:** Chrno/Rosette

**AN**: This is a great anime and an even better manga. I've watched the anime and read the manga recently and I absolutely adored it. If you haven't seen or read it, you should. Anyone who's seen my normal fandoms will sincerely enjoy it. Of course, as it is written by a guy (if I remember correctly) it isn't as romantic as I'd like but the romance is there just enough to spawn my fanfiction urge. I spell it Chrno, despite the fact that was originally a typo in the manga, just because that's how it's spelled on the title. Though it is pronounced "Chrono".

This is an AU, a type of 'what if'. You'll see what type of if immediately. It will follow the manga mostly in certain events, there are a few things from the anime I might take, and keep in mind a _lot_ in the manga/anime was never explained. You never find out about why Rosette kept having dreams about Chrno biting her, why Magdalen said blood was needed, how exactly a contract is forged, why Chrno could pick up Rosette's imagery in her mind sometimes, and why a demon and Remington had a full telepathic conversation. You never get the low and dirty on specifics, so this manga just seems to call me to write fanfiction because of it. Keep in mind this is my own interpretation of certain 'facts' present that were never explained, and while I have read and watched the anime and manga, I'm doing this from memory and it _is_ an AU so certain truths might be twisted. So all you purists should leave now.

Enjoy!

xxx

He knew the moment the seal was broken. He knew because he snapped back into awareness immediately. He began to feel again. He had been simply existing for such a long time, aware of nothing, not even his thoughts, just the passage of time. He had been both aware and yet not as he lay dormant in a place between worlds his consciousness had fled to after his body and soul were sealed. A place he felt nothing, thought nothing. A place of blank peace.

Then something jolted him into sudden awareness with something akin to pain at the sudden sensory overload after so long.

He knew the seal that had been set over this tomb to keep him here was broken. Before his sluggish thoughts could process that, light spilled into the room followed by the scraping sound of stone on stone as the monolithic doors were pushed open. He opened his heavy eyes slowly, squinting at the painful light.

It was then he realized he could move.

He lifted his head heavily to look towards the entrance, his unused muscles protesting painfully at the movement after what must have been years of disuse. His blurry sight picked up the shadowy stranger standing in the doorway, the fall of the brilliant light stealing true sight of the person who had dared to break his seal.

"Time to wake up, Chrno."

Frowning at the sound of a name he had almost forgotten, the one who was once sealed pushed himself up enough to kneel beside the large stone sarcophagus he had been leaning against. "Who?" he croaked out, voice husky and broken from lack of speech.

The figure stepped further into the tomb in answer.

The one called Chrno knew the blond man standing before him. It was he who sealed him here. "Remington."

xxx

**AN:** Well. I had to end it somewhere and it's not supposed to be a CHAPTER, it's a prologue. I have the first chapter already ended, so I will post it up right after this, I promise.

**Fic of the Week:** Since this is one of the stories I've written since my break, I figure I'd go back to how I used to once in awhile plug another story I liked. ; So I'll stick to the category I'm writing in here and plug "Sacred" by Vitani FyreWolf (http/s/2171981/1/Sacred). It's a nice read.

Lovies!


	2. Chapter One: First Encounter

**A Contract**  
_Chapter One: First Encounter  
By Selenity Jade  
Rated: M_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chrno Crusade, because if I did, I'd have ruined it. ;

**Pairing:** Chrno/Rosette

**AN:** I apologize now for not putting this up immediately. I had an emergency that left me with half my sites posted with the prologue. It's coming up now. SORRY!

xxx

"Remington."

"Aye."

"Why? What do you want?" he asked hoarsely, his words slow and purposeful as his thoughts struggled to form some coherence out of the chaos.

"Your help."

Chrno was surprised into cynical laughter, which turned into a hacking cough.

"I am aware how ironic it is," the man replied, stepping further into the tomb and towards the stone casket. He placed graceful hands on the dusty surface, head bowed. "Aion has reappeared. He gave your horns to a human boy about five years ago."

Chrno watched the blond silently as he nervously smoothed wrinkles out of his blue priest's habit.

"Not far from here and orphanage stood where this boy lived with his sister. It is now frozen in time." The man turned to look at his still silent audience. "I wish you hadn't chosen a child form, Chrno. I feel very silly discussing such things with a child, even knowing this 'child' is a demon."

Chrno shrugged. "I didn't really plan it. I simply panicked and in order to see her buried properly I had to use as little astral as possible. My mind apparently chose this."

"And instead of seeing her buried, I sealed you in here with her. I didn't want another human to die by your hand."

Chrno didn't answer the accusation, he wasn't going to give this priest any details on what had truly happened. He learned early on arguing with those who viewed his kind as being against God's Will was futile.

"I know it was Aion that killed her now."

The boy snapped his head up to look at the priest in surprise.

"Aion has been taunting us at the Order," the man replied evenly.

Chrno sighed. "Even if I were inclined to help you, I can't. Without my horns, I don't have the energy to fight. I suppose that is why Aion did it."

"Yes, I know. They fear you greatly. Chrno the hundred demon killer."

"Don't call me that."

"Why? They are terrified of you because of what you did. I think that is partly why Aion gave your horns to Joshua, so you could not retrieve them without fighting someone with similar powers to your own."

"Joshua is this boy?"

Remington nodded. "Though boy wouldn't be accurate anymore, he's about sixteen now."

"Why that boy?"

"He's an Apostle."

Chrno again stared at the blond priest in shock. "It is time for them already?"

"You've been sealed here for about fifty-five years, give or take."

The demon absorbed that silently.

"In any case, it isn't exactly your fighting ability I'm after, I know you can't use your energy without horns-"

"-Or a contractor-"

"-What I need, what the Order needs is your knowledge of demons and of Aion personally."

"I see."

Remington ran his fingers through his hair. "I know I don't have a right to ask, but you want to stop Aion too. I'm at the end of my rope here. If I don't get him stopped or that boy back soon, I'm afraid what Aion will do. Though," the priest admitted with a secretive grin. "Right now I'm more worried about what Joshua's sister will do."

"Sister?" Chrno asked absently as he thought over his options. He hadn't wanted to fight Aion, but after he had killed Magdalen, their camaraderie had been broken and he had always been uncertain of Aion's methods towards their goal.

"That is the true reason I came here now. I'm worried about Aion's plans of course, but if I don't come up with something - some plan or idea - to get Joshua back soon, Rosette will leave the Order and go after him alone."

Chrno snorted. "A human will not have much chance against Aion even hornless as he is now, let alone a human girl."

"Don't sell her short before you meet her."

"Meet her?" the demon asked suspiciously.

Remington coughed, a slight flush growing on his cheeks. "I said she was the real reason. Well, she learned I had sealed up a demon who had rebelled against Aion and she demanded I release you. Her exact words I believe were, 'Then go release him, her, it, whatever the demon is, I don't care. Just do it and ask for help.'" Remington sighed in long-suffering amusement.

"You released a demon you despise all because of a young girl's demands?"

"Then she hounded me about it for three weeks and finally gave me an ultimatum: either I release you and get your help or she'd do it on her own and leave the Order."

"A priest of seventy years - how did you not age, anyway? - is being bullied by a little girl? The Remington I know wouldn't have let anyone force you into releasing me for any reason. You hate me."

"Rosette is a wildfire. Since it's partly my fault Aion got her brother, I've looked out for her since then. She's not a little girl though, she's been an adult for years."

"How didn't you age?" Chrno repeated insistently.

"I was gravely injured shortly after I sealed you and I was fused with demon parts," the priest stated in a voice that stated it was all he would say of the matter, but he did open his shirt to show the purple-haired boy.

Chrno laughed bitterly. "So now the pure-hearted priest Remington, guardian of the Saint Magdalen, has become what he hated most. A demon."

"Would you please change to an older form? Surely your adult human form won't take more energy than a child human form. In fact, I would think shrinking yourself down to this size would take _more_ energy."

Chrno shrugged.

"It's creepy seeing you like this and hear you talk like an adult and laugh like that."

The violet-haired demon sighed and did as he was asked, promptly falling to his knees.

"Chrno!"

Chrno held up a hand to keep the minister from coming near him. "I'm fine, it just takes energy to change form."

"I should have thought of that."

"I won't live long, Remington," Chrno told the priest. "But I will see what information I can give you before I die."

"Why would you die?" a distinctly feminine voice asked.

Both occupants of the tomb turned their head towards the exit in surprise to find a golden-haired nun striding into the darkened tomb. Her split skirt flashed pale skin and a sparkle of light hitting the metal barrel of the handgun strapped to her thigh. Her sapphire eyes were fixed on the crimson ones of the kneeling demon and Chrno found his voice stuck in his throat.

_There is no fear in her even knowing what I am._

"Rosette! What in the _hell_ are you doing here!" Remington exploded.

"Should a priest curse like that?" the young woman asked curiously, her gaze flicking to the priest beside him.

"I told you to wait back at the car."

"Which was parked at the Seventh Bell. I see that scene in my nightmares, I don't need to stare at it for hours waiting for you to come back," she quipped, obviously irritated. "That was very cruel of you, Father."

Remington rubbed a temple absently as he shut his eyes. "I apologize, Rosette. I didn't think. I was a little preoccupied about speaking with Chrno."

"Chrno is your name?" she asked the still kneeling demon. "All I ever heard was "the demon" or "him" so I assumed you didn't know his name, Father Remington." The girl tugged absently at the nun's habit she wore as she walked calmly over to the pair. Her hand reached out to him as she graced him with a politely distant smile. "I'm Rosette, Chrno."

Chrno stared at the hand in mild surprise a moment before he took it and let her pull him to his feet. This girl had been trained by the priest who despised him and all demons and yet still she treated him this... _politely?_

"Why will you die?"

The violet-haired demon blinked in confusion a moment before he realized she was repeating her question. "My horns were torn off and I have no other way of absorbing astral."

The nun cocked her head questioningly.

"A demon who runs out of astral energy dies and that is what our horns do, absorb astral. Remove the horns of any demon and the demon will eventually die." He turned his crimson eyes to the priest, arching an eyebrow. "Do you not teach your clergy about demons?"

Remington shrugged. "I had no part in her actual training. She's in the Order's Militia now and I didn't think to question just what exactly they teach our Sisters. They can exterminate and exorcise demons and they are good at it. I simply let it go at that."

Chrno sighed, leaning back against the stone casket. "This might take awhile to help you then, Remington. If your Order doesn't bother to teach your warriors basic demon anatomy, how do you hope to beat Aion? I can't fight."

"I know," the man agreed. "Would another demon's horns work?"

"I don't know. I don't think it has ever been tried. Probably not for long if it _does_ work."

Flicking hair out of his eyes, Remington continued almost hesitantly. "Would you be willing to try another demon's horns until we can get your horns back from Joshua?"

"Those were his?" Rosette asked suddenly.

"Yes, Aion removed Chrno's fifty years ago."

"There's one thing I just don't understand," Chrno interrupted.

"What?"

"Why _did_ Aion give the kid my horns? An Apostle has enough ability to be useful to Aion, why would he need one with my horns? He couldn't have known what exactly would happen to give a child demon horns, let alone give an Apostle child demon horns. The result could have destroyed _him_. So why?"

"I don't know," Remington admitted.

"Shouldn't we go back to the Order now that you've freed Chrno?" Rosette asked. "Or at least our hotel before we hash out all these details? I don't know about you two, but having a conversation like this in a tomb seems kind of disrespectful. And creepy."

"The hotel, yes. But we can't take Chrno straight back to the Order just yet," Remington answered.

"Why not?"

"Because Sister Kate has no idea I was planning to release Chrno and ask him for help."

"Oh, boy," the blue-clad nun breathed. "You're in for it now."

The priest sighed. "Probably. You are right though. Let's just get to the car for now."

The blonde woman nodded, glancing over Chrno quickly. "We'll need some clothes too."

Chrno blinked ruby eyes at her, then looked down at his rags.

Remington exhaled again. "Why did I agree to this again?"

"Because I threatened to go after my brother alone?" Rosette reminded him sweetly. "Not to mention, don't you owe Chrno?"

Both Chrno and the priest stared at her in surprise.

"You did tell me you sealed him because he had killed the Saint, right? I heard Aion boast that _he_ had killed her, so you sealed him for a mistake."

"Rosette, he _is_ a demon."

"So?"

Chrno frowned. Did she truly not fear or hate demons? Was she simple in some way?

"A demon did still your brother," the priest pointed out.

"Yes, and I'll kill that demon."

"When have you seen a _nice_ demon?"

"Actually, once before this and Chrno doesn't seem so bad."

Chrno stared at the girl. "What?" Remington finally asked.

"You don't know my _whole_ life, Father," the girl pointed out soberly.

"Well, no." The priest obviously bit back further questions. "Rosette, demons aren't normally nice to humans."

"As much as I hate to agree with Remington on this, demons _do_ think of humans as little more than intelligent animals. It would be best not to trust any."

The pretty blonde nun smiled at him. "See? You aren't so bad if you're going to warn me off other demons."

Chrno was so stunned at the brilliant smile she bestowed on him that Remington laughed. "She doesn't smile often, but when she does, it is like a kick in the face."

"What does that mean?" Rosette demanded suddenly, eyes lighting with liquid fire.

"It means, my dear Rosette, that you smile so innocently and with your whole being that it hurts us jaded old men sometimes."

"I am not innocent and neither of you are _that_ old."

The priest's laughter erupted further. "Not innocent exactly, but a type of innocence. You smile the way a child smiles before life teaches us to be a little more careful."

The woman shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know what that means, but we really should find a way out now."

The priest frowned. "Find?"

The perplexing blonde woman blushed. "The tunnel caved in just after I went through."

"Rosette..."

"I didn't _do_ anything!"

The priest gave the young nun a hard stare.

"I really didn't!"

Sighing, Remington took pity on the girl. "Okay, we'll find a way out. While we're doing that, shopping for clothes for the demon, and getting to the hotel, you need to think of a way to convince Sister Kate we can control him."

Chrno bristled immediately, opening his mouth but Rosette beat him to it.

"Chrno," she stated firmly, "has a name and unless he suddenly proves dangerous, we don't _need_ to control him."

The blond man held up a hand. "I meant a way to ease Sister Kate's fear of having a demon loose at the Order. I don't think anyone could really control Chrno if he had his horns anyway, we've never tried it with a higher level demon. I simply meant she is not going to let Chrno wander around the convent freely unless we can convince her he is controlled. I honestly don't feel he'd be a danger to us, otherwise I'd have never unsealed him, no matter how much you batted those pretty blue eyes at me." Remington took a deep breath. "I already have a headache just thinking about it. The legends surrounding Chrno are enough to put the head of our branch into seizures at the thought of him free."

"Legends?" Rosette asked, glancing toward him.

Chrno also had no idea what Remington was going on about, what legends?

"Later, Rosette," Remington stated with finality. He turned to Chrno. "Do you have enough astral to fly?"

The demon frowned thoughtfully for a moment then nodded. "For a bit, yes."

"We don't need long. There are holes in the ceiling all over down here. If you can take Rosette up there, she can secure a rope for me."

"Why doesn't he fly us both?"

Remington put a hand on the young girl's shoulder, silencing her.

Chrno didn't protest. He knew why Remington didn't want a demon flying him anywhere. Those demon parts of his might react to his legion if he were using astral while in contact with him. He had no idea what that effect would have on him, so he didn't push and he wasn't sure if anyone at this Order knew about Remington merging partly with demon legion. So instead, he asked, "You trust me not to eat her?"

Remington shrugged. "You're honorable, for a demon, and Rosette can take care of herself. She isn't one of the best exorcists we have for nothing. Besides, I think you actually dislike killing."

"Who said that?" Chrno asked irritably.

"No one. In fact, to demons you're like a boogie man. They fear your name because of what you've done. Yet no one speaks of any time before or since when you've killed."

Chrno decided not to answer the implied question. He had always been the softer one among his kind, but there was no need to explain that to this priest. He didn't need more people attempting to take advantage of the weakness. "Well, you're right. I won't eat her. Let's find a hole and get out of here." He started toward the tomb door with the other two following behind. He stopped shortly after exiting what had effectively been his prison in a stream of sunlight from an opening in the stone above him.

It was big enough to fly through, so he simply waiting with his head upturned, savoring the warm of the sun hitting his face for the first time in what felt like eons as he waited for the humans to catch up to him. He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes.

"Ready?" the soft voice he was beginning to associate with that woman Rosette asked. He could feel her eyes on his back. If he had wanted, he could have heard their thoughts. He didn't. He never liked how powerful his telepathy was and while he did want to know if the priest was planning to betray him and had no compunction about reading _him_, the girl was a problem. She was so obviously without guile even as she radiated a deep sadness. He knew she wasn't planning anything detrimental to him and his skills were rusty enough he just might pick up on her thoughts too. She didn't deserve it yet.

"Yes," he answered, releasing his natural form with relief. The familiar joy in the sheer power of this form flooded his heart. He opened slitted ruby eyes, glancing over his shoulder at the humans behind him. "Do you have rope near here?"

"It's in the car," the priest answered.

"Where is it?"

"A few minutes walk from here," Rosette replied.

"Rosette, please tell me you did not drive," Remington said with an odd voice filled with dread.

"I sure didn't walk."

The priest gave the young nun a pained look. "Is the car still in one piece?"

"Yes," Rosette replied with a dangerous light in her eye as she turned those brilliant blue eyes to her mentor. "Demons weren't chasing me this time, so of course I didn't wreck it!"

"Thank God for small favors," Remington muttered in a tone too low for the girl to hear but Chrno picked it up easily. "Rosette, Chrno, if you would fly there and bring back the rope, I would be extremely grateful."

"Fine," Chrno agreed before the woman could speak again.

Rosette sighed. "Alright. So what do I do?"

xxx

**AN:** ...Well it'll follow some things in the original manga/anime but I need to get some of my 'lore' out of the way, too. Not an exciting chapter, but ah well.

**Fic of the Week:** Innocent Contract by Le-Chan1 (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2335964/1/InnocentContract). It's a darker read than normal but I loved it!

Lovies!


	3. Chapter Two: The Promise

**A Contract  
**_Chapter Two: The Promise  
By Selenity Jade  
Rated: M_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own, will never own, and actually that is probably a very good thing. My stories turn dark, disturbed, and angsty in a serious non-fun type way.

**Pairing:** Chrno/Rosette

**AN:** You know I'm having problems finding _bad_ Chrno Crusade fics. I wonder why that is. I know most fanfiction is just horrible dribble usually with a few good ones splattered in between and I'm pretty lenient about what I like, but even with those very mild criteria, I usually have to search for good ones! I know I must not be looking hard enough, or searching for fics at six in the morning after an all nighter makes all fics good.

Also, yes I _know_ I'm rehashing a lot of what was stated as fact from the manga/anime, but there are three very good reasons for this. One, all stories should stand alone. That is the most immediate. I treat all my stories as if they were originals and need to have basic 'laws' pointed out during the course of the story. There is no 'author notes' to explain "Oh, by the way, in my world, horns are really made of blue-cheese" or something. All stories shouldn't have to have an explanation just to make sense. Two, because I will be 'altering' some things and I don't need someone asking me later what is 'true' to this world that is true to the original too. Three, because frankly, I write so much _I_ need the reference on what I've changed from the original and it helps me think.

And do you have any idea how hard it was to name this chapter without giving away the entire thing?

**Warning:** I'm giving you all your first warning, not for this chapter, for this fic. It will be slightly darker than the manga/anime was. I tend to be drawn towards anime/manga with non-human men in them. I don't know why, I just do. And they always get all bestial and crap in my fics. I tend to explore their non-human side more, always basing it on previous facts left by the original GOD who wrote the story.

xxx

"So what do I do?"

"First, come here," Chrno ordered briskly.

Rosette hesitated a slight reddening on her cheeks.

_What is wrong with this girl?_ He frowned. "I'm not going to eat you, but I do have to pick you up."

"I know that," the nun snapped. "I just-"

Remington laughed. "Rosette, I know you've been sheltered from boys for the last five years but surely this isn't _that_ embarrassing."

"It's not that!"

The blond man arched an eyebrow. "Well?"

"It's nothing," she stated firmly and walked towards where Chrno waited patiently for her.

The scent of fear coming off the strange woman startled him. She hadn't been afraid of him at first, which he had noted was odd even for someone trained to deal with demons like she was, so what about him flying her out of this cavern made her actually scared? In fact, after he got over the surprise at having a pretty girl burst into his resting place, it was the first thing he had noticed about her.

Her hair caught the sunlight brightly as she stepped beside him. "Are you scared of heights?" he asked her privately, confident he knew just how keen the priest's hearing was. Unless he happened to inherit more from his demon-fused body than he let on.

"No," she stated quietly.

"Of me?" he asked incredibly.

She simply shook her head. "No, no," she replied automatically. "It has nothing to do with you, really. Let's just go up."

He could have found out what she was so afraid of with little mental effort, but he let it go. His arm wrapped around her waist securely, causing the nun to jump and then blush in embarrassment, fear receding to a memory. _She is just so strange!_ "Hold onto me, but not on my back. Neck or waist is fine."

"Okay." She wrapped both arms around his waist in a tight grip as if she were afraid he'd just drop her when he took to the air.

"Ready?" he asked. At her nod, he willed himself into the air. His wings appeared with a slight stab of pain, a definite sign of his low astral. The girl gripped him so tightly he was glad he wasn't human or he knew he wouldn't have been able to get a breath in.

"Hey, this is fun!"

He felt his lips twitch at her enthusiasm. "Where is this car?"

Nodding slightly north, she replied, "Over that hill."

Making sure to move slowly enough so that his astral usage was a slow constant, he flew toward the small mountain she had called a hill.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"Why does Minister Remington hate you so much? Other than you being a demon I mean."

Chrno hesitated, uncertainty gripping him. Should he tell her? That part of his life was painful and he didn't want to share it, but the girl did deserve a fair answer since the priest obviously hadn't given her _any_ knowledge about him or Remington's past. "I kidnapped the woman he was guarding and she died because of it. He blames me."

"Oh." There was a long silence before she asked, "Why did you kidnap her?"

"Aion needed her powers."

"You used to work for Aion?"

"With Aion, yes."

"Why don't you anymore?"

"He wanted me to kill Magdalene and I didn't, which led to him killing her and taking my horns, but before that I had been having doubts about his methods."

"If demons fear you so much, does that mean Aion is that much more powerful than you since he beat you and took your horns?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions?"

"No."

Chrno sighed, spotting the vehicle. He landed in front of it, setting the talkative girl down. "I don't know if Aion is more powerful. We're the same rank. He took me by surprise then."

She walked away from him toward the rear of the car, popping it open when she arrived. She half-crawled into the back end of the machine, her legs kicking back and forth as she dug around. "You loved her, didn't you?" her muffled voice asked him.

Chrno started violently.

"Your voice said her name with a lot of pain," she explained as if he had asked.

_She doesn't even _know_ me. Have I completely lost the knack of concealing what I feel? Am I that easy to read?_ He sighed finally. "Can we not talk about this?"

"Fair enough. Are demons telepathic?"

He nearly jumped again at the perceptive change in topic. He blinked at her as she walked toward him, a thick rope slung around her shoulder. "Yes. Some more powerful than others."

"You're a powerful one, aren't you?"

"How do-!"

"My brother. When he was first given your horns by Aion, he kept screaming about the noise, clutching his head. That is why the Seventh Bell is frozen as it is, he tried to make the noise stop. I always wondered if it was their thoughts that had hurt him that day."

He nodded. "Demon horns are such an integral part of us that your brother 'inherited' my particular brand of powers, you could say."

"So how powerful a telepath are you?"

"I have to concentrate to _not_ hear thoughts, though that isn't effective if someone is distressed or angry enough."

"Does it bother you?"

"If I'm around a lot of emotionally charged people it can get annoying, but I've had this ability my entire life. I'm used to it."

"I see. So you can tell what I'm thinking?"

"I could, but I'm not."

She nodded in acceptance.

Chrno still didn't know what to make of this girl. She was either painfully naive or stupid. She took what he said at face value, showing nothing but acceptance of what he told her. Did she doubt nothing?

"What if those horns don't work? The substitute ones."

He shrugged a shoulder absently. "Then if I fight, I'll die."

"Is there another way for you to absorb astral energy?"

"A human contractor, but that has limitations," he answered hesitantly.

"Limitations?"

"Every time I use astral, it would take part of my contractor's soul, their life. Their life would be considerably shortened."

"Can you get my brother back?"

"If I achieve a way to absorb astral, yes. As long as I can see this kid, I can get him back from Aion. I don't know if I can beat Aion, but I can do that." Chrno nearly tugged at his purple hair in frustration, he was actually starting to get used to this girl's haphazard question subjects. He answered without thinking about it, not even to blink at the abrupt change in topics. _This is unnerving as all hell._ It didn't help that they were talking about such a sore subject.

"Then if those horns don't work or aren't enough, I will become your contractor."

"Are you out of your _mind_?" he asked, aghast. _The girl is naive, stupid, _and_ crazy!_

"I am more than willing to give up my life to save my brother and you're my only hope. The Order hasn't been able to even find Aion, let alone hurt him or get my brother back."

Resisting the urge to take the girl's shoulders and shake some sense into that blonde head, he forcibly exhaled. "Remington would never allow it."

"He doesn't have to know then."

"It is not a good idea, you're still a young girl-"

"I don't mind," the nun persisted. "Promise me you can get my brother back and I will give you the power you need to do it."

He stared into her earnest eyes for a long moment. She didn't flinch or even fidget. Her azure eyes shone with fierce determination and absolutely no fear of the ghastly idea she was suggesting. She wanted this. She wanted her brother saved at all cost, even tying herself to a devil and giving up her life. "Those horns will probably help, but they will most likely not be enough. I cannot imagine your Order getting a hold of any horn but a lowly legion's. The astral absorption will be too low to fully sustain my powers."

"If you had horns and a contractor?"

"I'd only drain the contractor when low on astral."

Rosette held out a pale hand to him. He stared down at it a moment before his gaze flicked up to hers. "Promise me you will save my brother, and I will become your contractor," she stated again.

"I don't think this is a good idea," he began again.

"Why not?"

"Remington would truly be furious if I killed another of the women he was protecting."

"Well, you didn't kill Magdalene."

The demon sighed. "I did. Indirectly. That is not exactly what we're discussing here. Do you truly want to have your life shortened so much?"

She shook her blonde head emphatically. "Of course not. I don't _want_ to die, but I have to save my brother. I'd die to protect him and I'd die to save him." She turned those brilliant blue eyes on him and he suddenly knew why Remington had caved into this girl to release him. "Please? If half of what Minister Remington implied back there is true, you have the power. You might be the _only_ one with the power to save my brother. I'll fight too, I'm great at fighting demons and exorcising them - I won't be a burden - but I am only human."

Chrno began to feel the familiar burning embarrassment and anger at the mention of his power and fought not to let it show on his face. It was always going to haunt him. Was his only worth because he could destroy so much so easily? "Is this truly what you want?" he asked, keeping his voice empty of his inner turmoil.

She nodded with no sign of indecision.

Chrno relented sadly and knelt before her small frame, bowing his head. "Then we will forge a contract, Rosette," he stated softly, reaching up to grip the clock around his neck. He lifted it over his head and watched as the sunlight reflected off the face with a cheerful sparkle. It was so innocent looking for such a deadly device. He handed it to her and as she made to take the watch, he grasped her slender hand, pulling it to his mouth and nipping the tip of her index finger sharply.

She hissed in pain and surprise, but didn't yank the appendage from him.

The metallic tang of blood hit his tongue as he ran it over the tiny wound he had made. He slowly pulled the finger from his mouth, turning his eyes to her startled face. Keeping a secure grip on her hand, he spoke again. "Our souls are connected now. Your life is mine and my powers to serve you, my contractor."

He felt her fingers tremble against his palm, but as ruby met sapphire, fear wasn't the reason why. He couldn't read her eyes as guarded as she kept them, but fear was not her response to binding her life to him.

He stood up, releasing her hand. She held the oddly bulky clock against her chest as she watched him.

"You should have that around your neck, but Remington saw me wearing it. I do not think he knows what it is for, but he'll ask questions if he sees you have it now, so keep it out of sight if you truly do not intend to tell him."

"What is it?" she asked somberly.

"It seals my powers when closed. Opening it lets me drain your soul to use them. The clock indicates the time you have left" he told her tonelessly.

She nodded, putting the clock around her neck, and tucking it into her nun's habit.

"We should head back before the priest gets worried about you."

She nodded, walking to his side. She immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, causing him to stiffen slightly before he lifted her off the ground. "Why isn't it draining me now?"

"I'm using the astral I have left, when I get dangerously low, I'll probably switch into my human form immediately so I had best not be flying. When I need your life, you will have to unseal me."

"Thank you," she uttered forcefully, her entire tone conveying just how _grateful_ she was.

"Don't thank me," Chrno told her firmly. "I'll be killing you."

"But you'll also be helping me."

"I need to get my horns back anyway," he told her as he landed outside the huge hole they had left only fifteen or so minutes before. "Remington?" he called into the crevice.

"I'm here. What took you two so long?" The voice was slightly muffled and echoing at the same time.

"I had to search for the rope," his new contractor put in immediately.

Resisting the urge to point out she sounded very fake when trying to hide something, he took the rope from her and lowered it into the stone cavern.

"Is it secure?" the priest called from below.

"I can pull you up," Chrno reminded the man.

"Oh."

"Demons are stronger than humans, Father Remington," Rosette stated in a teasing, sing-song voice.

"Teach your grandmother to suck eggs, will you?"

The blonde laughed. It was a nice, open laugh. It was different than his first contractor. _She_ had always been reserved. This girl though didn't have a reserved bone in her body. She laughed as she did everything else, with her whole being. The laughter reminded Chrno of a happier time before his entire existence had been turned into one giant, volatile mess.

He felt a tug at the rope and easily started pulling the man out of the tomb, letting Remington exert his own strength at the end once his arms had cleared the crumbling stone ceiling.

Brushing himself off, Remington carefully watched Chrno and Rosette without bothering to hide how seriously he studied them. "So what _really_ took so long? I know you can fly there in seconds, Chrno."

"We were talking," Rosette put in before Chrno could reply. Again. Would the girl _never_ let him answer a question?

"It took at least two minutes, I am hoarding my astral."

"Oh?" Remington asked suspiciously, glancing at Chrno.

"I'm using as little as possible so I didn't break the sound barrier."

"Well, that makes sense, but you, Rosette, are a horrible liar and I know you're hiding something."

Rosette shrugged. "It's my own business what Chrno and I talked about."

The light-haired priest frowned at her, then glanced up into his own demon eyes. Chrno put up a hand to halt him. "Don't bring me into this. If she doesn't want to share, I'm not about to."

Remington threw up his hands in frustrated defeat. "Fine, but if it's important and I found out you withheld valuable information, Rosette, I'll have you up before Sister Kate."

The girl shuddered, but didn't relent. "Fine."

"Let's just get back to the car. Chrno stop it with the wings already. Human form, if you please," the priest ordered.

Chrno gave the human man a hard look, but did as requested.

"Let's go," Remington said before he turned and started towards the trees surrounding Magdalene's tomb.

xxx

**AN:** Well this is as good a spot to stop as any, I suppose. I think this is going to me one of my rare fics where lots happen in very little time, like dialog, characterization building, etc. Also I'm trying to get better at description, so let me know if it gets _too_ bad. I tend to use conversation to do most of my background building and characterization and that means I sometimes forget to describe stuff.

**Fic of the Week:** Oddly enough, I'm have a ton on 'back up' for this little category thanks to a late night of fic reading. Keep in mind, I'm not nominating perfection here, just simply "This is very nice" and that doesn't always mean grammar-wise or mistake wise. Anyway, for this chapter: Strawberry Shortcake by Manda-chan (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2337407/1/StrawberryShortcake) - this was very cute.

Lovies!


	4. Chapter Three: Side Effects

**A Contract**  
_Chapter Three: Side Effects  
By Selenity Jade  
Rated: M_

**Disclaimer:** I only wish I owned Chrno Crusade (or any other anime I adore). Sadly, I am not creative enough to write something someone would want to make fanfiction out of.

**Thanks:** That Crazy Girl - because she put off important work just to read my updates on this fic and reviews each time. So this chapter is for her.

**Pairing:** Rosette/Chrno

**AN:** I'm addicted to this fic, I've had muse-inspired ideas and writing this down whenever I've got free time when I'm not on the computer. So I've got like another three chapters written down I'm working on getting on the computer. It's already getting interesting.

xxx

Rosette followed the demon her mentor had released, who in turn was walking just behind Minister Remington. Her mind was whirling with excitement for the first time in years. She finally had _hope_ that she might get her brother back. She suddenly felt like laughing and crying at the same time, because against all odds, she now felt they might just get him back safely. It was all she could do not to skip around in glee at the very thought of seeing her brother again.

As if her mind couldn't move past the one thought, she kept repeating to herself, _I have hope!_

The violet-haired demon in front of her stumbled, then glanced back at her with a pained look on his solemn face.

She frowned at him. _Are you _listening_ to my thoughts?_ she thought at him as hard as she could.

He winced a half-breath before his deep voice reverberated in her mind. _:Don't yell, it hurts. I'm not meaning to listen, I can't keep you out. I don't know why. I think it has something to do with the contract, but it shouldn't have done _this.

Rosette fiddled with the end of the habit covering her head thoughtfully. _:You're hearing everything I think?:_ she asked carefully, keeping her thought quieter.

_:I think so. Maybe I'm simply out of practice at blocking, but I didn't have this problem when you two first woke me...:_ His thought was pained and she could feel embarrassment coming through more clearly than voice tone would have allowed.

_:Does this thing have a distance limit? Do I have to like leave the area to have private thoughts?:_

_:I don't know, I've never tested my range before. I could talk to Aion from miles away, but we were directing our minds. To do it accidentally, I usually have to be within sight of someone. With this... I can't venture a guess.:_

_:Huh. I didn't really count on having _this_ happen.:_

_:You think I did? You're practically shouting in my head.:_

_:Sorry.:_

He shook his head, slowing his pace until she caught up. "I was trying to put a bit of distance between us to see if it mattered. It didn't work," he told her quietly.

"I wondered why you suddenly started to walk faster."

The demon exhaled slowly, eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"What's wrong with you two?" the priest in front of them asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Nothing," they both stated tiredly.

Father Remington stopped walking and waited for the pair to catch up to him, frowning at Rosette and then Chrno with a steely gaze. "What were you two whispering about?"

"We weren't whispering," Rosette protested.

The man turned his eyes to the tall demon. "What is your problem?"

Chrno shook his head, his expression clearing as he lifted his crimson eyes to the priest's.

"You two are getting along suspiciously well," Minister Remington stated suspiciously.

Rosette winced and felt Chrno do the same.

Eyes flicking from nun to demon, the priest frowned harder. "Where is that clock you had, Chrno?"

Chrno sighed, opened his mouth, and then paused when Rosette nudged his side with a concealed hand. Rosette pulled the watch out from under her habit.

Remington hissed, glancing up at Chrno. "Why did you give her that?"

"You know why," Chrno stated dully.

"Did you forge a contract?" the priest demanded.

"Yes," Rosette said firmly, meeting his furious gaze with her own calm ones. "Don't get angry with Chrno, I bullied him into it. I'll do anything to save Joshua."

Remington exploded. "You little fool! We had other ideas on how to let Chrno use his powers."

"And they might not be enough. This way, if those horns fail Chrno in battle, he'll have a safety net, so to speak."

Remington turned to the demon in a storm of fury. "Break the contract."

Chrno sighed. "I agreed to it against my better judgment, but she has some good points. These horns - if they work - will not be perfect and if I run out of astral in the middle of fighting Aion, I don't know what will happen. I'll probably simply die. However, as I will be using these horns if I can, I will not be draining Rosette's life until I need to. She wants her brother saved and I can get this boy back if I have access to astral. I will not go back on my promise."

"I'm not asking you not to save the boy, just break the contract."

"No," Rosette said firmly.

"Rosette, do you have _any_ idea-!"

"Yes, Chrno explained it to me when he tried to talk me out of it."

"You could have just refused, Chrno!" the priest yelled.

"It honestly didn't occur to me," Chrno admitted, somewhat puzzled.

Her mentor blinked, then frowned hard at Chrno. Rosette watched as Chrno shook his head and she faintly heard his voice in her mind, almost like a conversation taking place at the edge of her hearing. _:It isn't that. It is important to her and I agreed with part of her reasoning. She will insist on fighting for her brother with me anyway. It'll be safer this way instead of me dropping dead at a crucial moment.:_

Rosette scowled. "Stop talking in your heads! It's irritating to have people talk over you, but to only hear one half of the conversation is much more annoying."

Both men turned to Rosette in surprise. "You heard me reply to him?" Chrno asked, his voice shocked.

"Yes, but not what he asked you."

Sighing, Chrno absently ran fingers through his hair, scowling at the ground. "I _am_ out of practice if I just broadcast."

"You didn't," Remington replied, watching Rosette thoughtfully. "Chrno, are you picking up Rosette's thoughts?"

The demon flushed. "I can't keep her out. A contract isn't supposed to work like this!"

"So. Basically, Chrno, you went behind my back, stole another girl I'm guardian of and forged a contract with her, and it is already having problems? And it _never_ occurred to you to just say _no_ to a woman you just met?"

Chrno shook his head, his long purple hair trailing over one shoulder.

"You _sure_ you don't have yearnings for human women?"

Chrno gave the priest a hard look. "I know what you're implying, but no, I didn't do it to seduce her nor did I kidnap Magdalene to seduce _her_."

"You _are_ a demon and this is the second woman you've corrupted."

"Hey!" Rosette protested.

"You be quiet. You are already in enough trouble as it is. Chrno, answer me."

"I didn't kidnap Magdalene for me, remember? Aion wanted her. Your theory is wrong. You have to have noticed how you go along with whatever this girl wants. She was the one who got you to unseal me against your own better judgment, right?"

Remington stopped a moment, frowning thoughtfully. "I forgot about that. I didn't think _you'd_ be susceptible to it though."

"And you're forgetting most demons think of copulating with humans as a perversion."

"You don't though."

"Who said that?"

"You were with Magdalene."

"I cared for her, I didn't seduce her," Chrno pointed out in irritation. Rosette kept her mouth shut on that. She knew Chrno had loved the other woman, deeply. She guessed that since he kept trying to steer the subject away from him having feelings for a human woman, he didn't want Father Remington to know just how much he felt for her.

"Since you and Aion were so close, I figured you'd share more similarities than just rank, power, and appearance. You probably share his perversion too."

Chrno frowned, his ruby-colored eyes disturbed. "What perversion of Aion's?"

"He forced himself on a jewel summoner and he's currently fixated on Rosette."

Chrno glanced at Rosette, who fidgeted nervously. _:What does he mean, fixated on you?:_

_:Aion has tried to kidnap me twice since I came to the Order and he leaves messages for me occasionally after I escaped him when I was thirteen.:_

Chrno spoke aloud to Remington. "Aion has never professed an interested in human women before, not even Magdalene. This is... disturbing. He's never been sadistic to no purpose before. He's always done what he did for our goal. Forcing himself on a woman, I wouldn't have thought him capable of that. Or even interested in a human woman."

The minister sighed. "It gets worse. The Order is afraid he might be losing his sanity, Chrno." Father Remington shook his head, turning back to start walking. "We'll discuss this later. Let's just get back to the car and then the hotel. I need aspirin."

Rosette stared after the retreating back before she moved to follow. She felt the vibrant energy she knew was Chrno move up beside her and realized she had been _feeling_ him for a while now. "It's getting stronger."

"What?" the startled voice asked.

"Whatever odd thing this contract did. I can feel exactly where you are and that you're worried and afraid."

He murmured softly to keep his words from the priest in front of them, "That is why at first you were afraid to let me fly you out of the tomb. Aion kidnapped you?"

She nodded, images flooding her mind of the four months she had spent on Eden. When Chrno gasped, she flushed so violently she covered her face with her hands. She hadn't meant him to see that!

"Sheda got you out before Aion could-"

"Yes. I wasn't integral to the plan, so she found a way to get me out without rousing suspicions, though she didn't free Joshua. If Aion had been as obsessed with my brother though, I think she would have. She believes in Aion's goals, but she seems to have a conscious. She wasn't a bad demon at all." She glanced over her shoulder at Chrno. "Don't tell Father Remington, please. No one knows what happened to me. They already know Aion's fixated and that's enough."

He nodded, his red eyes concerned.

"Thank you."

"Rosette."

She smiled at the sound of her name coming from him. It sounded _different_ than when others say it, maybe an accent she could barely pick up, or something. When he flushed, she realized he had picked up on that thought too. She bumped her shoulder into his side affectionately. "What?"

"I'm sorry about Aion. He used to be my friend, but that..."

"It isn't your fault. You'll help us save my brother and that's all I need. It is the whole reason I've kept going this long."

"Will you two _stop_ whispering to each other and move it!" the frustrated minister snapped back.

The rest of the walk and drive to the hotel was in silence. Chrno sat in the back seat of the car, carefully trying to _not_ pick up on Rosette's thoughts, while she simply tried not to think.

Remington strove to keep his temper.

After the three of them entered the hotel room, Rosette paused. They had two beds, three people. Maybe they'd have to see if another room was free.

"I can sleep on the floor," Chrno interrupted.

Remington actually jumped in surprise. "Don't answer questions we haven't asked yet. You and Rosette really need to get a handle on that. It's unnerving."

"Sorry," the both uttered.

"Look, Rosette and I have camped out in places no humans had the right to be, we can share a bed and Chrno can have the other."

Rosette was about to agree but Chrno beat her to it. "No, it's fine. I'm not used to a bed and will probably stay up a little later anyway. I'll sleep in the middle so you can keep an eye on me, Remington."

The priest nodded. "Alright, I'm going out to get some clothes for you, Chrno. Rosette, show him how a shower works if he doesn't know, and I'll be back in an hour."

Rosette nodded, watching her mentor leave.

_He's worried._

Glancing at each other, neither knew whose thought that was.

xxx

Chrno stepped out of the steaming bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Rosette had pointed out he was going to be getting new clothes soon and that dressing in the rags from before was counterproductive.

She glanced over at him, looking thoughtful a moment, her thoughts flitting through his mind. _:Now about that hair...:_ "Ah!"

He sighed, as he found himself doing a lot around her. "I don't need it braided."

"Oh, come here," she ordered, pointing to the floor at her feet.

Simply deciding it was best to give in to her demands, he walked over and dropped to the floor near her bed, resting his back against the mattress. She spread her legs just enough that his back was able to fit. Her gentle hands pulled his damp hair off his neck and bed, running a brush through it.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed as she worked. He had almost fallen asleep when the hotel room door opened. He didn't turn to look at the priest; he could see him carrying four good-sized bags through his contractor's mind. "I don't need that much," Chrno said without even looking at the man.

"You need to stop this connection of yours before we see Sister Kate," Remington grumped, setting the bags on the small table.

"We're not doing it on purpose," Rosette spoke up as she continued to braid his hair.

"Maybe not, but when what you see Chrno can too, that 'unexpected side effect' is growing stronger. It must be stopped."

Chrno felt Rosette's resentment, though she held her tongue.

"What are you doing to him? He's a demon, not a doll."

"His hair needs to stay out of the way and a braid is the easiest," Rosette answered.

"Then don't put a bow in it."

"I don't have anything else to hold it right now."

Chrno just sighed. He knew he was in for it with this girl. She was just so strange. An odd mix of sad desperation and determination, and yet she also went about putting his hair into this strange arrangement with a bright bow with an almost unholy glee.

He could effortlessly see what it looked like in her mind. He frowned suddenly. Shouldn't he be extremely worried about this? He glanced over his shoulder at the woman. "What are you doing to me?"

"Braiding your hair."

"Not that. Why am I letting you?"

Remington was surprised into laughter. "You just now noticed you two are acting like an old marr- erm, siblings?" he said, changing his words in mid-sentence at Rosette's darkening look.

"I should be seriously disturbed by this," Chrno admitted, glancing at Remington. "Of hearing her and seeing images going through her mind. It is always there now, and I'm treating it like they're my own thoughts. I should be panicking."

Remington turned a pointed look at Rosette. "And you should be angry about it."

She shrugged a shoulder, releasing his hair finally. "It wasn't on purpose."

"Can you hear Chrno's thoughts?"

She nodded. "Though not like he can hear mine, I think. His are clear only when he's speaking with them or emotionally charged, otherwise it's just background noise to me and I have to concentrate to hear him."

"Did being in separate rooms help?"

"Separate rooms?" Rosette asked blankly.

"Please tell me you didn't stay in the bathroom when he was in the shower."

Rosette flushed such a vibrant red Chrno was surprised a human could change colors like that. "Oh. No, I waited out here."

"It didn't help," Chrno clarified. "It felt like we were in the same room, now that I think on it."

The priest looked like he was about to tug on his hair in frustration. "We'll see how distance affects this problem later. Here, Chrno," he said, handing the demon the bags. "Just go change in the bathroom. Sorry if you don't like it, I don't really know what demons wear in this day and age."

Chrno took the bags and went into the bathroom, shaking his head.

xxx

**AN:** Yeah, I do have a plan. Really. Right now though I'm very much traumatized by a fic I just read. It was excellent, but traumatizing. So my mind is just blank coming up with an author's note for you. I'm going to have to do that fic as my plug this time.

**Fic Plug:** Fair warning to all of you, this is _not_ for the faint of heart and is probably not to be taken very seriously in the whole "This is how the author views Chrno Crusade" type way. It is very mentally disturbing but it was a very nice piece. If you can read it without letting the actual subject cloud your judgment on the story itself. Questions by Maiden of the Moon (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2459625/1/Questions)

Lovies!


	5. Chapter Four: Sister Kate

**A Contract**  
_Chapter Four: Sister Kate  
By Selenity Jade  
Rated: M_

**Disclaimer:** Bite me?

**Pairing:** Chrno/Rosette

**AN:** As someone pointed out, my summary sucks. I know. I really, honestly, blow at summaries until I get most of the fic written first. So I apologize. Secondly, this does follow the manga partly at first (I wasn't going to change part of the meaning of one of my favorite series, which is why I kept the contract in it), however, it changes now and I will probably not put _anything_ from the manga/anime in it from here on, or at least directly. Thirdly, I'm glad someone gave a fangirl squeal after the Aion/Rosette hint. Though I'm not a shipper of that pairing, since it gives me the heebie jeebies and I'll probably make it as messed up in here my twisted mind makes it.

xxx

"Now that we're alone," the minister began, then hesitated. "Well, in a manner of speaking." Rosette knew he was referring to the fact Chrno could probably hear them with his mind. "Firstly, demonic contracts are very, very dangerous."

Rosette rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. I am an exorcist, after all."

"This isn't exactly a normal contract, Rosette. I'm going to tell you a few things that very few exorcists in the Order know. Normal demonic contracts allow the demon to devour the soul of the person who summoned them, and in exchange, the demon will work for that person until that soul is devoured. The stronger the summoner, the longer he or she lasts, and the longer a demon is bound to follow that person's orders. Basically, it's an agreement that the demon will serve the summoner in exchange for their soul. However, in the past fifty years or so, there is another type of contract that is much rarer. A contract in which a hornless demon can use a human being's life to retain their own. Now I'm not sure just _how_ powerful Chrno is, but my guess would be, if he went all out, using only your life force, he could kill you in minutes. I've seen two devices that regulate the energy put out by the human contractor. You're not really in control of Chrno, it's more of the demon who is in control in these contracts. While that device Chrno gave you does seal his powers, he doesn't need you to open it to unseal him necessarily. That is the problem, Rosette."

"What do you mean?"

Her mentor sighed. "If he gets upset enough or angry enough, he'll unseal himself. Hell, even if he wasn't upset he could do it, but he probably won't. My point is he is the one in control, not you. That is why demon summoners do not usually call higher devils like Chrno. For one thing, they'd never get one unless that demon wanted to for some reason. Higher devils are not controllable like lesser ones. Period. They'll agree to work for a human, usually out of some twisted form of amusement, and the few without horns might forge contracts to keep themselves alive like the case twenty years ago in Illinois."

Father Remington sighed, glancing at the bathroom door. "I think we can convince Sister Kate that we do have Chrno under some form of control by using your contract with him. However, she knows just as well as I do, a higher devil isn't controlled unless he _wants_ to be. We'll have to convince Sister Kate he's safe to allow on Order grounds. Because you're still part of the Order and your movements aren't your own all the time and honestly, I think forcing Chrno away from his contractor isn't a very good idea. So when I call Sister Kate, I will be trying to convince her Chrno won't go rampaging around the convent."

"He wont," Rosette stated assuredly.

"That may be, but you _have_ to remember he is not human. He does not think like a human being, he doesn't react like a human, and his abilities are not human. Demons - even higher ones like Chrno - are very much ruled by their instincts, especially in situations of stress. We don't know why that is, possibly because they're made up of what they call legion, or some other reason. We just don't know. Think of him as being like a lion from Africa. He's from a different culture, upbringing, and a completely different species. That means something that might be innocent to us is deadly serious to them, or vise versa. Okay?"

She was giving her mentor a hard stare throughout most of his speech, but she had to admit that did make a lot of sense. Demons were like beings from a different culture or like aliens from space, completely different from human beings. That didn't make them bad though.

"Now, I wouldn't be pointing this out to you except for that little contract you formed with him. The Order likes to keep things simple for their exorcists. Are all demons evil? We don't honestly know that, Rosette. We teach that they are, because _every_ one that we deal with are. We get called in for the demons that are harming humans. Those demons that don't harm humans, if they exist, either don't come up from their home or just plain don't draw attention to themselves if they do. We don't want our exorcists to know demons this well.

"This will be the last thing I'm going to warn you about. I want you to really listen to me on this. One of the man reasons demons are dangerous to us is if they get too... unsettled, I guess, they can lose their sense of self. They go berserk, basically. It happens a lot and I know that at least two of our cases last year were from lesser demons losing control of themselves. When demons lose control of their emotions, their legion - like our cells - sometimes reacts to that, and they lose control of it. My point is that is is now part of your job to make sure nothing makes Chrno fly into a rage. I will already have to talk fast to Sister Kate about him and your contract, but honestly, he hates me as much as I despise him, and I don't think anyone else in the order is going to be charitable enough towards him to be able to soothe his temper. Actually, they'll probably run away screaming if he loses control. I do know you will probably be able to calm him down somewhat. This is just _probably_, Rosette. I have no idea if you'll be able to bring him back if he loses complete control, but I do feel you'll be able to calm him down before he gets that far. Demons who lose control of themselves don't come back until they've run out of things to destroy, usually. So you must make absolutely sure you keep Chrno calm. I guess this sudden camaraderie between you two will be useful in that respect."

Rosette watched the man who had been her protector, guardian, and first crush talk to her about controlling a demon. He was still exactly the same as he was five years ago, she suddenly realized. He still tried to look after her like he had when the authorities found her wandering around alone in shock at thirteen-years-old. She suddenly couldn't remember when she had stopped fantasizing about him. She knew when she first started her silly crush, though. Her fourteenth birthday, he had given her a brilliantly red rose in honor of her name. But when had he become simply a protector and friend to her? Maybe back when she saw her mentor cared about her a lot, but he was completely oblivious to a teenage girl's feelings. First crushes don't last long to fatherly indifference.

She felt a keen embarrassment and it confused her for a long moment until she realized Chrno must have picked up on her train of thought and it was his emotion.

_:Sorry:_ she heard faintly in that deeply pleasant voice.

"Now, you two should also try to stop these weird side effects you're getting. I don't understand how you're developing this special bond, but put some distance between you two to see if that stops it."

"I am here to help you, not to be your subordinate," Chrno spoke, startling the minister. Rosette had felt him exit the bathroom so didn't jump, but she glanced worriedly in his direction at the frustration in his emotions. "What I and my contractor do or do not do is none of your concern." The words were blandly spoken, but the blonde exorcist felt his anger. A fiery pulse that simmered just below his calm facade.

Father Remington sighed. "Rosette, lastly, demons are very possessive creatures and as his contractor, they automatically view you as property."

"Not as property," Chrno snapped before Rosette's thoughts could even form. "But mine, yes."

"So most demons will protect their contractor, but might kill him or her themselves."

Chrno's fists clenched at his sides and Rosette felt disgust enter his anger. "You truly know demons," Chrno said. "But she will not die by my hand."

The blonde wasn't worried Chrno would hurt her, Remington had been right before in the tomb when he accused Chrno of not wanting to kill. Chrno didn't want to hurt anyone.

The demon shot her a pained look. "Do you mind?"

She smiled apologetically. "Minister, you're making Chrno angry," Rosette said, turning to the priest. "You did tell me to make sure he doesn't get _too_ angry, remember?"

Remington sighed. "I meant don't let him fly into a rage; no one can escape simple anger. But I will drop it. Until Sister Kate brings it up as well as the sixteen other ways in which you have screwed up hugely this trip."

Wincing, Rosette watched as he picked up the hotel phone and dialed. She glanced over at the newly-dressed demon and had to smile. He looked so _uncomfortable_ that it was just too cute. He had some coat draped over one arm, it looked black or maybe a dark brown from where she was sitting, but she was going to guess black. Remington always did like the color black and since he was forced to wear blue because of his rank, he decided to dress Chrno up in black slacks and a black shirt that clung snugly to his chest. She couldn't see what type of shoes the priest picked out, but she was betting they were black too. It did look nice on him, though.

He gave her another odd look. _:I don't care what it _looks_ like. It's uncomfortable. Too tight across the chest.:_

_:I'll make sure we get you looser shirts from now on.:_

"Ah, hello, Sister Kate," the priest voice broke in. "Yes, I borrowed Rosette, she isn't missing if she's with me. She was on leave and since you ordered it, I felt it was safe enough to take her with me. Why? Did something happen?"

Rosette and Chrno watched the priest, who had sprawled out on the bed as he listened to the nun on the other end.

He suddenly sat up. "What?"

There was another long pause as he listened to his superior and Rosette unconsciously gripped the watch at her chest nervously.

"I see. Well that will be a slight problem, Sister Kate. Sister Rosette and I are in Michigan. We can't get there soon." Pause. "Yes, I know how important Satella's job was but even you didn't see her finding anything when you sent her. Aion's been too well hidden to slip now. So I took Rosette with me to get some... help," he explained, eyes flicking to Chrno.

"Well I decided to track down someone who knows Aion." Pause. "No, it's one of Aion's old compatriots, a demon."

Rosette flinched at the same time Remington pulled the phone from his ear and all three of them clearly heard the startled shout, "What?"

"Sister Kate, please calm down. Chrno has excell-"

"Chrno! You released the Sinner Chrno!" the phone screamed.

Rosette actually leaned away from the phone, glad for once she was not the one being yelled at. Though that would probably change shortly.

"Well, yes, I released the seal. I think he'll be of great help to us and has already agreed to lend us that help."

The next words from the Head of the New York branch of the Magdalen Order were indistinct but the furious tone carried quite well.

"Sister Kate! Please, we have no other choice in this matter. Aion is leading us around like a whipped dog on a leash and we must stop him soon. Asking for help toward that goal will not put us all in jeopardy, even if that help comes from a demon." Another long pause ensued. "I know better than you what Chrno can do and has done, Sister Kate. I pledge to you he is quite safe right now." Pause. "No, it isn't that he lacks horns. He made a contract with Rosette," he admitted weakly.

The resounding explosion was a pure scream of rage that left even Chrno staring at the phone in amazement. Rosette simply paled while Remington tried to smile reassuringly at her, though the effort fell rather flat.

"No, I didn't let her. I didn't find out about it until after. But it is a good opportunity. With his powers sealed like that, he is the next thing to safe to allow onto the Order's grounds."

It took nearly twenty minutes for Remington to calm that outburst.

"Of course I gave her a lecture about it, Sister. She understands the consequences of it and will not break the contract. I do not believe Chrno forced her into it." He smiled at Rosette to indicate things were going rather well. It was really too bad Rosette didn't believe him at all and gave him a very doubtful look to make that point to him clearly.

"No, he is as safe as a demon sealed in a holy container and left in the bottom of pool of holy water." Chrno winced at the image. "Rosette has this well in hand, Sister."

There was another pause. "No, that isn't a good idea. You know better than trying to separate a contracted pair unless you _want_ things to go wrong."

Chrno growled.

"It will not be effective if you make waves between a demon and his contractor. And I value my skin very much." Pause. "No, he's not threatening me, but I don't want to push him. You know as well as I do that we have yet to successfully exorcise a demon and keep the contractor alive. I do not think putting strain on a higher devil who made a similar bond is wise." Pause. "No, I didn't mean he'd kill Sister Rosette or she'd die. It'll simply make the demon angry and you and I have seen that enough." Pause. "He _is_ safe as long as Rosette is the one to control him." Father Remington held up a hand to keep the two watching him from protesting his statement.

Rosette didn't need to be told, she was just flabbergasted that Father Remington was _fibbing_ to head of the Order!

"Yes, we'll fly out tomorrow morning and we'll follow up on this lead when he land." He paused, smiling. "This would make a good assignment for Sister Rosette and her new partner." Pause. "Because if what you say is true, then either Joshua let lose with those powers or there is another demon with almost the exact same kind as Chrno's. He'll be the best one to judge." There was another pause. "Yes, I'll see you then. Goodbye, Sister Kate."

The priest hung up the phone with obvious relief. "You owe me, Rosette Christopher."

She spontaneously hugged the priest. "Thank you for taking the first scolding."

Father Remington looked down at her in absolute amazement as he returned the hug. "Rosette? Are you okay? I think this is the first hug you've given... in five years."

She simply smiled sadly at him. She couldn't explain how suddenly she felt she owed this man. He had always been there, watching over her and now he protected her from a demotion she definitely deserved. So she simply squeezed him and then released him, standing up. "I need a shower after all we've done today," she told them both and disappeared into the bathroom.

xxx

Remington hung up the phone after briefing the Elder on what he needed when he and his partner as well as Chrno landed in New York tomorrow. He turned and glanced over at Chrno, who was leaning against the far wall, a frown of concentration on his face.

"Trying to see Rosette in the shower?" Remington teased.

It earned him a dirty look. "If she looked in a full-length mirror it might be something to watch, but she doesn't, so it's only mildly disturbing so I'm trying _not_ to see."

"Any idea why you are having these problems with the contract?"

"No, but I'm no expert at them. I've only made one other one and she didn't live long after that. But it didn't do _this_."

"When did you notice something was odd?"

"When Rosette was getting excited and happy while walking back to the car. She was practically shouting in my head."

Remington stared at the demon for a long moment, before turning his gaze to his hands that rested in his lap. He sighed in resignation. "Rosette used to be a very happy, sunny little girl before Aion gave her brother your horns. She has never told anyone how she survived the incident at the Seventh Bell and we never pushed her to. All I know is that I arrived shortly after it happened to find the entire orphanage frozen in time, but I couldn't find Joshua or Rosette in those immobile people. You see, the Order wanted Joshua and I was sent to work out adoption for him and his sister if she wished to come. When I couldn't find either of them, I filed a missing person's report, and the rest of the branches of the Order sent out their own teams to look. We all knew how important an apostle was. I don't know if they looked for her with the same single minded drive though."

Remington stood up and walked toward the room's only window. "Rosette turned up a few months later in Alabama, the police notified the Order, and I flew down to get her. She has never been the same little girl. She was given a choice when I brought her here, she could learn to be an exorcist if she wanted. She jumped at the chance and attacked her studies and training so furiously that worried us all, and some nights we were forced to sedate her just to make her sleep. She started learning to hide her obsession with getting stronger behind a distant, polite mask, the one she still wears today. She never bothered to make friends or open up to anyone. She only had one goal, to get strong enough to save her brother."

The minister glanced over at the silent demon. "If the very existence of your contract made a woman who hasn't lived a moment of her own life since she was twelve actually _happy_, I am wondering what I've been doing these past fifty years. Did Magdalene feel the same? Was she just happy knowing you, despite the risk of her death? You gave her the first real hope she's had with your simple presence. That tiny blessing that her happiness truly is means more to me than you can possibly grasp. The fact that you might be the agent that saves a woman's life even while taking it? I don't _like_ that her life is being used to fuel your powers, but if a demon can make a woman happy and her life worth living, who am I to judge what God wills?"

"I am no angel to do God's bidding," Chrno pointed out in irritation. "You of all people know that."

"Yes, I know. But you made her happy, if only for a moment, which is more than our entire Holy Order could do. An unholy demon is healing a holy woman. Ironic, isn't it? She is like a daughter to me, Chrno. Just take care of her for me, then. You and her are going to be partners now and the order always sends people out in pairs, never in groups of three. I leave my charge to you then. If you can make her life even a little brighter, I will fight to keep you with your contractor against everyone in the Order."

Chrno's eyebrows rose in absolute shock. "She's my contractor."

"Yes, and you'll protect her for that reason too. I love that girl as if she were my own and I thought I knew what was best for her. It turns out, she knew what was best and didn't back down from it even when one of the only people she cares about was angry with her. For some reason, she needs you."

"She needs my power."

"She needs your power," Remington agreed. "But if that were all, she could have tried to get another demon on her side by summoning one with death."

"She's not that type of girl."

"I agree. That is why she needs _you_ with your powers. I will make sure Sister Kate doesn't try to separate you. I don't know what sort of relationship you two will form, friendship, sibling, romantic, I don't know, but already she defends you as you defend her. But what's more is she gave me a hug in happiness after just knowing you for a few hours. For that, I thank you, Chrno."

The demon fidgeted uncomfortably. "She wants her brother back and she trusts I can do it. It has nothing to do with me personally, just my powers."

"You lie to yourself, Chrno." The priest approached the demon he had spent five decades hating. "I have no objects and will let you and her decide your own course."

The violet-haired demon stared at him, stunned.

Remington smiled. "You're the closest she's had to a friend in years and already she has put a yellow bow in your hair."

Chrno reddened slightly.

The bathroom door swung open as Rosette walked out, dressed in a casual skirt, holding her nun's habit over an arm. "Why is the mood so serious?" she asked, glancing between them.

Chrno sincerely thanked God that she wasn't able to pick up his conversations like he could hers.

xxx

**AN:** ...yeaaaah.

**Fic of the Week:** Crimson Intolerance by Manda-chan (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2509495/1/CrimsonIntolerance) - I honestly think it's funny to picture people from anime drunk. Maybe because I'm old enough that a lot of this type of stuff really DOES happen on occasion and when you're sober and your friend is not, it's embarrassing as all hell. And while a lot of "Let's get Chrno or Rosette drunk" fics aren't good, I really liked this.

Lovies!


	6. Chapter Five: Returning to New York

**A Contract**  
_Chapter Five: Returning to New York  
By Selenity Jade  
Rated: M_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own this or anything else except for a few randomly created original characters that won't appear in this story. I wish I were making money off this.

**Thanks:** To That Crazy Girl for using her iPod to read and review my fic. Now, that _has_ to be a first for me. Never had anyone so excited they used their iPod before. Cell phones, yes. iPod no. Squee!

**Pairing:** Chrno/Rosette

**AN:** I'm trying to get as much stuff saved online as I can right now, which is why I'm posting all these so fast. I need to make sure I don't lose stuff in my move that is coming up. Last time, I lost all my files. I'm just hoping this fic doesn't turn NC17 on me like my dbz ones... Though the only reason I dislike it when that happens is I have to create two chapters per chapter of the heavy scenes, one for FFnet and one for the sites that allow NC17. It's such a pain. Sometimes my works take on a life of their own, my characters turn into different people and actually _live_ in here and do what they wish to do. So yeah, my writing has always been off the wall. Anyone else think I have way too many stories for one girl to have written or started? I've got like 50 online...

xxx

"So what does Sister Kate want us to investigate?" the comfortable blonde girl asked as she leaned against the dark, wooden headboard, a pillow gripped securely in her arms.

"Satella was sent in to investigate a series of mysterious sounds and lights in Albany's warehouse district and there were no few people turning up missing. She found a scene similar to the Seventh Bell, except it was only a teenage couple and the small section of the warehouse. Sister Kate wants us to go and have a look since you and I were the only ones who saw the aftermath of Joshua's use of power five years ago. So we'll be headed there after Sister Kate meets Chrno. She insists on seeing for herself if he's dangerous or not." The minister rubbed his forehead, amused. "Apparently, she doesn't trust my judgment or yours. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning, fly into New York, meet with Sister Kate, then the Elder, then drive up to Albany."

"And I'm supposed to be on leave," Rosette grumbled. "I was _supposed_ to have a week off and instead I got dragged back to Michigan, and the first day back home, I'm going to be running around trying to squeeze all _that_ in?"

Father Remington wisely didn't comment that coming to Michigan was Rosette's idea. "Chrno, will you be able to tell if this power came from your horns or another demon?"

"It probably is this boy using my horns. Demonic powers don't repeat themselves often and I don't know of another demon with any similar abilities."

"So it's probably Joshua," Rosette said softly.

The blond priest nodded. "That is what Sister Kate fears."

"I hate this," the young woman said softly.

Remington stood and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's just get some sleep."

Nodding, Rosette pulled the covers over herself and curled up on the bed glancing towards Chrno. She was bothered by him sleeping on the floor, it just didn't seem right.

"It's fine," Chrno said, slumping down near the head of her bed and leaning against it.

Father Remington sighed. "Chrno, that is really creepy. While I agreed I wasn't going to butt in to your business with your contractor, would you two not answer thoughts around Sister Kate? She already feels Rosette has put her soul in jeopardy of Hell."

Chrno glanced up at the calm man with distant crimson eyes and shrugged, purposely closing his eyes at the man went to turn off the lights.

Rosette's eyes adjusted to the sudden dark and were drawn by the slight pale yellow sitting on the blanket by her hand. Chrno's braid had curled up behind his head on her bed and she had an almost irristable urge to touch it. _What is wrong with me? I am not usually so touchy feely,_ she wondered to herself, irritated. He was practically a stranger!

_:Go ahead:_ the deep voice answered her from the demon on the floor. _:It's just another side effect.:_

_:You feel like touching me too?:_

_:Yes:_ he stated curtly, cutting off further comment with his frustration.

She smiled and reached out, wrapping the thick braid around her hand, and brought it to rest against her chin. Exhaling slowly, she relaxed. _:Goodnight.:_

_:Night.:_

xxx

Remington awoke at dawn. It had been habit for more years than he cared to remember and so ingrained into him, he hadn't slept passed dawn in decades. Glancing toward the other bed to check on Rosette, he frowned as he saw her curled up tightly in the corner of the bed nearest the demon who was leaning against the frame with his eyes closed. She was wrapped in the purple-haired demon's braid.

In all the years he had known Rosette, he had never seen her sleep in anything but a sprawl, taking up more space than any girl her size should be able to. Even asleep she was drawing nearer to the demon who hadn't moved in the night. He looked peaceful there with is eyes closed, almost harmless, despite what Remington knew about him.

The priest sat up and Chrno's eyes snapped open immediately.

"Awake, I see," Remington said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Don't worry about trying to be quiet, Rosette would sleep through the Apocalypse."

Chrno nodded, wincing as the movement yanked on his hair that was caught around the slumbering nun. The devil turned red eyes to Rosette with a grimace.

Remington watched them silently before he spoke. "I was thinking last night."

Chrno glanced his way.

"I have a theory why all these effects are happening."

Arching a violet eyebrow, the demon gave the priest his full unwavering attention.

With crimson eyes focused so demandingly on him, the priest repressed a shudder and continued. "Normal demon contracts allow the demon summoner to use the demon and the demon devours the soul in payment, correct?"

"Yes."

"Your clock, it is a device to allow you to use her life force slowly as needed as a substitute for horns. Since finding a new contractor would take time, it seems to me it would make sense that this clock keeps a demon from devouring her soul, instead allows you to harness her life more slowly. So effectively, it should be keeping Rosette's soul from being devoured by yours."

"Yes," Chrno agreed with a frown.

"I think it's malfunctioning."

"What?" the demon said, sitting up straighter.

"Well, seriously. You've been in that tomb for over fifty years, what device wouldn't malfunction?"

Chrno scowled at the priest. "How is it malfunctioning?"

"I think her soul is being leaked out, basically. It's just a theory, mind you. We'll have to discuss this with the Elder as soon as possible."

Ruby eyes widening, Chrno turned towards his contractor and Remington couldn't see his expression. He didn't need to though. For some reason, this demon didn't like the idea of devouring souls. "I agree," Chrno stated.

"Try to wake her up, I'm going to shower. We have a flight to catch soon." Turning, he entered the bathroom, leaving the pair alone. _I really hope I'm wrong._

xxx

Chrno found he couldn't stand up without ripping the hair from his head, so he twisted around and poked the sleeping girl. "Rosette!"

She didn't move.

After a few more nudges got the same result, he sighed. Now he knew why the priest said she wouldn't wake up if they spoke. He got onto his knees and attempted to pull his braid out from underneath the girl, shaking her shoulder at the same time. "Rosette, wake up!"

Nothing.

_Well, this is frustrating._ This girl slept like she was dead! He frowned and wondered how else to wake her. When his old friends used to get piss drunk and some emergency happened, they used to use buckets of water, but Remington was in the bathroom with the only facet, so that was out.

He sighed, carefully got a good grip on the purple braid, and yanked. _That_ got a response, but not the one he was hoping for. She simply whined, curling up tighter, and took more of his braid with her as she rolled over. With a startled grunt, he nearly fell on her. "Rosette!" he cried nearly in her ear.

"'O 'way," she mumbled.

"Rosette, get off my hair!"

Chrno could see her open her eyes fuzzily as his face hung too close to hers for his eyes to focus properly. "Huh?"

"Rosette, off the hair!"

"What are you doing in my bed, Chrno?" she asked tiredly as she blinked up at him.

"You're _on_ my braid," he told her sternly. "Get off."

"Oh," she uttered, glancing down and hitting her forehead against his. "Ow!"

He agreed. It didn't hurt him, but he could feel it from her as if it did. These side effects were getting really obnoxious. "Carefully untangle my braid from around you," he told her.

She did as he asked, and rolled off the rest of it as soon as she was able to.

He sighed, plopping back down on the floor and shot her a dirty look. "Do you always sleep that deeply?"

Giving him a sheepish grin, she nodded. "Yeah."

_Great._ He could just picture trying to get her up morning after morning and he was absolutely positive the priest would send him to do just that. His sense of humor was twisted enough to get back at Chrno in little frustrating ways like sending him to tangle with a girl who couldn't wake up to save her own life.

He blinked as he realized said girl was headed toward the bathroom. "Rosette, Remington is in there."

She paused as if confused, glancing back at the demon parked on the floor. "Oh."

"Come on, woman. Wake up!"

She yawned hugely. "I am awake."

The bathroom door opened and a damp-haired Remington walked out. "Ah, you're up, Rosette. Bathroom is all yours." Before he finished his sentence, she was gone, bathroom door shut and water running faintly inside.

"That girl is very strange," Chrno grumbled.

"You have no idea."

xxx

Stepping outside into the muggy New York air, Rosette took a deep, relaxing breath. It wasn't fresh air, but it was home. She blinked as she realized three Sisters of the Order were walking toward them and glanced at Father Remington in confusion.

He shrugged.

One of the girls stepped forward, red-hair barely concealed beneath her blue covering. "Sister Rosette, Father Remington, welcome back. Sister Kate sent us to secure the demon."

Rosette opened her mouth angrily. _How dare-!_

"Ah well, as you three can see, Chrno, Rosette, and I have arrived with no mishaps," the calming voice of the priest interrupted before she could vent her wrath on the three younger girls who were just following orders. "I sincerely doubt Chrno will suddenly start destroying and killing in the airport or city when the plan and its passengers all arrived safely."

One of the girls, a blonde, blushed.

"As I told Sister Kate, Chrno is perfectly safe and you three don't want to doubt my judgment do you?"

"Of course not, Father Remington!" the brunette exclaimed with a flush. "Sister Kate did order us to put him under a seal in the van before we arrive."

"Well, he's already sealed, Sisters," Remington put in quickly.

Chrno's fists clenched and Rosette felt sadness more than anger this time, but refrained from looking towards the demon.

"What?" the blonde asked.

"Sister Claire," Remington addressed the red-haired girl and pointed at the clock around Rosette's neck. "He's sealed. I will tell Sister Kate I countermanded your orders. Do we have just the van here?"

The nun nodded in surprise.

"Then let's go," Remington ordered, leading the way towards the large vehicle with the Order's emblem painted on the side.

Rosette touched Chrno's elbow, causing the demon to start as they followed after the priest. "Don't worry about them," Rosette told him softly to avoid being overheard.

"I'm used to it. Humans fear us." His tone was so bitter, Rosette felt pained at how much worse it would get.

She glanced over her shoulder at the trailing Sisters who watched Chrno as if he might turn and slaughter them all. There was fear there when they watched him, but the glances they gave her were tinged with disgust. She wasn't well-liked in the Order, she had never tried to be or to get to know anyone, but they had never watched her with fear until now. Fear and a bit of disdain, as if she succumbed to the evil they were trained to eradicate. They watched her like she was a demon, too.

She felt Chrno stiffen beside her and knew her own hurt feelings leaked through. "People always hate what they fear, Chrno," she told him sadly as they reached the van, in an effort to ease both him and herself.

The sisters refused to be anywhere near the 'evil' demon, so she sat with Chrno in the last row of seats. Remington spared her a sympathetic glance, knowing the shunning had already begun.

xxx

The feared demon watched the scenery pass silently. He didn't know why the three nuns animosity was bothering him so much. It shouldn't have. He was used to fear from humans every time he had ventured near them in the past, once they knew him for what he was. Maybe it was their fear making their thoughts so hard to ignore, or maybe it was the stiff woman sitting a few feet from him, her entire posture screaming discomfort.

He was used to the fear and hatred; he had never been bothered by it before. It was healthy in humans to fear and despise demons as most of them meant these frail beings harm. That fear would keep them alive. So why was it suddenly getting to him?

It took a moment to realize it was guilt. He hadn't thought what his presence and contract with the girl would mean for her back at her home. He should have, but it never occurred to him that they would view his contractor with the same animosity and fear they felt towards him. Ironically, he felt guilt because of it. He had always been the unusual one - even among the rebels, the Sinners, of his kind - but to actually feel guilt over something so trivial...

_What is that girl doing to me?_ He could feel her hurt, anger and distress as keenly as his own emotions and that made him feel remorse. Remorse over hurt feelings. Hurt feelings of all things! He had always been the soft one, the one who hid it behind a solemn expression, never letting anyone see how much killing bothered him, not even the one he viewed as his friend, his brother.

Guilt turned to anger quickly. Anger towards those shallow girls sitting up in the front seat, whispering their venomous accusations that were wildly impractical, even if they were impossible. Not to mention complete nonsense. _Why would a demon need a virgin sacrifice that involved a goat? And where do they get the idea our anatomy is _that_ bizarre? Where would we hide such monstrosities?_

It would have been humorous if they hadn't included his contractor in those scenarios. To think they actually believed she had sacrificed herself to him in some bizarre ritual to seal the contract. Doesn't this Order teach them _anything_? But when the talk turned to what they thought should be done with his contractor, he felt the growl slip out before he could stop it.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his forearm. He turned furious, blazing eyes to sympathetic ones.

"Don't worry about them."

He could have slapped himself. He had gotten upset and of course she started picking up on it. "They're talking about-"

"I know. They're simply novice exorcists, though. They have no say in actual decisions. Sister Kate runs our branch with Father Remington as her second. I'm also in the militia and that means I rank them, despite not being a full Sister yet."

Her words had the intended effect and he calmed slightly. He was agreeing to _help_ these humans, not join their demented little religious order. They had no right to dictate anything to him. He could just up and leave them to their fate if they made things that intolerable. Even hornless, they couldn't hold him anywhere. Nor could they keep him from his contractor if he wanted to find her.

She gave him another comforting pat on his arm before folding her hands in her lap and looked out the window on her side of the van. He watched her thoughtful profile a moment before glancing back towards the front of the van and the gossiping nuns. He didn't let their conversation get to him again. After realizing he could just leave when he wanted was an immense comfort and he didn't even have to ask the girl if she'd leave with him. She wanted her brother saved, that is why she was with this group and that is why she agreed to a contract. As long as he was willing to try to save her brother - and get his horns back - and fight Aion, she'd follow him if he left. She needed his power, after all.

xxx

**AN:** Um, yeah. I'm already on chapter five and it's only the second day. This fic is going to be way longer than I originally imagined it. This fic is centered around the contract - hence the title of the story - and its side effects. We'll see where that leads us!

**Fic Plug:** Dance Against Time by EL Silver (Her name is longer, I just... can't remember how to spell the first two words and too tired to go back and forth tabbing, and copy paste messes up my word format. Anywho, it's a cute one-shot! (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2793276/1/Dance(underscore)Against(underscore)Time)

Lovies!


	7. Chapter Six: Tears

**A Contract**  
_Chapter Six: Tears  
By Selenity Jade  
Rated: M_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Chrno Crusade or Chrno. Or any other yummy demon.

**Thanks:** Thatz, because you pointed out what I always try to do when forced to be explanatory. Make it at least part of the dialog or something to where it isn't like falling asleep reading it. I tried, so thanks for noticing! And since I make this fic readable by people who don't know the anime/manga, I have to do a _lot_ of explaining sometimes.

**Pairing:** Chrno/Rosette

**AN:** Well, yes, last chapter had the 'leaking' inspired by the manga, those of you who have read the Chrno Crusade manga know what I mean, I'm sure.

xxx

The golden-haired minister led the pair to Sister Kate's office, wrapping on the door twice before entering. Rosette hesitated before crossing the threshold, the usual nervous fear she always got settling around her stomach at the idea of facing Sister Kate across her desk again. She _always _yelled at her for every little thing, though admittedly sometimes she did deserve it. What made the fear worse though was that this time, she deserved far more than being yelled at and she knew it. She forged a contract with a demon, something considered evil by the Order, and did it without telling her superiors or consulting them first. She was definitely due some scolding time. She only hoped it wasn't _too_ severe. Steeling herself, she walked in the room with her head held high, the demon she tied herself to following just behind.

Rosette gulped nervously as the woman stood up from behind her desk, her eyes fixed on the tall demon behind her. The nun's eyes were cold and hard. _Oh, boy, I'm definitely in for it._

She glanced over her shoulder to find Chrno staring right back at the woman as calmly as possible. At least he was trying to appear harmless.

His crimson eyes flickered to her for a moment at her thought and she flushed, turning back to her superior.

"Father Remington, Sister Rosette, welcome back," Sister Kate greeted, turning her frosty look to her two exorcists. "I asked Satella to be here for this meeting as well since she has been a great help." The jewel summoner in question stood up from the chair Rosette hadn't noticed was occupied. _I really am nervous if I didn't see her._

Sister Kate's gaze moved back to the demon behind her and then down at Rosette. "The information I am about to share is not to leave this room, understood?"

She nodded quickly. "Yes, ma'am."

"This is the most guarded secret of the Magdalen Order, Sister Rosette, Satella, and it is absolutely imperative you do not repeat it. What I am about to reveal to you is known only to the heads of each branch and the Council." The nun moved back to lean against her desk. "The Magdalen Order was founded fifty years ago by Ewan Remington -" her eyes flickered to the priest, "- and never in those fifty years has a higher devil ever set foot in this office. Until today."

Satella stiffened, glancing over at the purple-haired man, but Sister Kate gave no one the chance to comment, she turned to Father Remington.

"You founded this Order after you took on a demon's legion to save yourself to make amends for your failure in saving Magdalene and you set down rules and a code that must never be broken. The most strict of those rules was that the demon sealed in Saint Magdalene's tomb, Chrno the Sinner, Chrno the Broken Horns, Chrno the Slayer of a Hundred Demons, must never, _ever_ be released!"

She glared at the blonde priest. "Now, you left our grounds, took with you our most gifted - if destructive - exorcist with you without a word to anyone and released a demon so powerful that he cracked the Earth in a fit of rage that left a scar known as the Grand Canyon! A demon you yourself were fatally wounded by and couldn't kill even without his horns; a demon you sealed yourself to prevent such wanton destruction and death from ever repeating itself. I want to know why!"

Remington ignored the stunned looks he was getting from everyone but the demon in question and simply stared back calmly at the nun. "Chrno is powerful, yes. He isn't wantonly destructive, however, otherwise I wouldn't have released him, Sister Kate. He's always been fairly... nice," he said finally after a hesitation as if searching for the right word. "For a demon. I unsealed him because he was Aion's partner over fifty years ago and no one knows that demon better than Chrno himself. The fact that Joshua also has been fused with Chrno's broken horns is a better reason to free him."

"You freed a demon ever _other_ demons are terrified of and brought him here for _information?" _the older Sister asked aghast.

"And his help, yes."

Rosette was simply astonished. Father Remington was really over fifty years old? Chrno was that powerful? He caused that huge-

_:I wasn't in my right mind at the time.:_

She felt the guilt and self-loathing so keenly she nearly choked on it.

"Excuse me," the German woman interrupted. "I agree with Sister Kate. Demons are not to be trusted. How do _you_ know, Father, he won't kill us all if he has done all that in the past?"

"Because of his anger at Aion initially. Aion harmed Chrno, too. I felt that the enemy of my enemy would make enough of a difference to allow him to _want_ to work with us. Now, I know he's safe because of Sister Rosette."

The golden-haired nun flinched as her superior's flinty gaze found her. "That brings me to you, Sister. After five years of exorcising demons, after seeing the horrors demons have done as well as those contracted to them, you sneak around and forge a contract with the most powerful demon in known human history!"

"I joined the Order for one reason, Sister Kate," Rosette stated with conviction, though her voice lacked the tone to support that conviction when faced with the other nun's anger. "To save my brother. Chrno can help me with that. I did it so that my brother's life can be saved and I will not go back on my decision. If Chrno still had horns, he wouldn't need a contractor, but I'd have still asked for his help. He is not evil, Sister Kate." Her voice gained volume until the last sentence was spoken with more frustration and emotion than she had ever shown in front of an audience before.

Everyone in the room started at Rosette in surprise, including Chrno.

"Not evil-!" Sister Kate sputtered out.

"As you pointed out, I have been exorcising demons for years now. I know evil. Chrno is not."

"Why does the devil not speak for himself?" Satella archly asked, glancing at the red-eyed demon in question.

"What should I say?" he answered in that calm, empty voice of his. Rosette knew from the expressions on Sister Kate and Satella's faces they didn't expect his voice to be pleasant. "I am a demon and most of the demons you people in this Order see are evil, twisted legion without names, identities, empty of everything except hunger. Demons view humans as lesser animals, like cattle. To cattle, humans are evil. To humans, demons are. Demons are a threat to you and you should fear them. So what should I say?"

"For a beginning, if we allowed you to stay here, will we be putting our people in danger?"

Chrno snorted. "Killing humans has never been my past time. I will not harm anyone here, except in defense of my contractor or myself."

Rosette glanced at him in surprise, but he ignored her, crimson eyes intent on Sister Kate.

"And you will not break the contract?"

"Contracts need both parties willing to sever it. If Rosette wishes it, I will break it, but I will not until then."

"Sister Rosette," the older Sister turned to the blonde. "If I didn't allow him here?"

"I will leave the Order."

The dark-haired nun sighed, glancing at Chrno. "Sister Rosette will leave if I force you out. How do you inspire such loyalty?"

"It is my power she needs, nothing else. For her brother."

Feeling his sadness, Rosette looked up at the demon behind her in puzzlement. His voice gave no hint of his emotions, but she felt it and it made her eyes sting with tears.

"Rosette!" Sister Kate exclaimed in shock as tears fell down her cheeks. In five years, she hadn't once allowed herself to cry in front of the people who had taken her in. Not once. Both Sister Kate and Father Remington were shocked, though the priest shot the demon a suspicious look.

Chrno's gaze snapped down to his contractor when the other nun cried her name and she covered her face with her hands to hide the tears. She heard him curse in his mind with such ferocity that it made her laugh a little through her tears.

Chrno began to panic and Rosette knew Remington had seen that when his deep, infectious laugh lit up the room.

"I'm okay!" Rosette tried to assure them. "Just had a tiring couple of days, I guess. I just got all emotional." She hiccuped, tears still falling as she hid behind her hands.

Sister Kate frowned. "Sister Rosette, are you... okay?" she asked worriedly.

xxx

Chrno stared down at the top of his pretty contractor's head in panic. She was reacting _that_ strongly to his emotions that when he felt sad _she_ cried? He reached out a hand, hesitated, glancing at Remington beseechingly.

Smiling, the priest nodded in encouragement.

Taking that as a good sign, Chrno touched her shoulder, turning the sobbing girl to face him. "Rosette..." What did one say to a girl who was crying your sadness because you were unable to?

"Eh, I'm okay, Ch-Chrno," the young woman said through her tears. "I just can't seem to stop." She had her head bowed so that the top nearly touched the center of his chest. He felt her shoulder shake under his hand and when she leaned into his chest, he let her sob his grief onto him.

He glanced up to find the other two women in the room staring at him with closed expression and his own hardened.

He looked over to find Remington grinning. "What happened, Chrno?" the priest asked, amused.

Feeling Rosette bury her face into his shirt, tiny hands gripping the fabric as she tried to hide even more against him. She was embarrassed about crying and was using him as a shield to hide it. He absently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, keeping the other free in case he needed to move quickly if they offered him violence. She didn't stiffen at the contact, so he let his hand rest at the base of her neck, holding her to him so she could hide without seeming to hide. "It's my fault, Remington," Chrno admitted finally.

"I guessed that. Something we said made you upset or remember something upsetting, and she picked up on it. This is the result, I take it?"

"Yes," Chrno answered simply. _:Rosette?:_ He looked down at her.

_:This is _so_ embarrassing!:_

He released he was responding to her state when his hand started rubbing the back of her neck and stopped. He hadn't ever had to deal with sobbing women before, let alone one that was crying _for_ him. _:I'm sorry:_ he told her as tenderly as he could, trying to find a way to express it in words and failing. It was all he could say, simply an _I'm sorry. _Then again, maybe it wasn't needed. It meant something to him that his sadness had a release in her, anyway.

"Chrno!"

He blinked, glancing at the amused priest. Sister Kate and Satella were not, though. "There have been problems with the contract?" the nun asked carefully.

He gave a wary nod. "Side effects. I have yet to use astral since the contract, so I do not know how it will affect her then. She is simply reacting to my thoughts and emotions for now."

Sister Kate looked doubtful and he knew she doubted he _had_ emotions, but he let it go. He didn't care what she thought of him. "Well, we will discuss that later. Now where should we put you?"

"How about with the Elder?" Remington answered. "Since everyone knows Rosette brought a demon back with her, it will make the rest of the Order a bit more at ease and the Elder isn't one to be cruel."

Sister Kate nodded thoughtfully. "That is a good idea."

Chrno stared at Remington rebelliously. _If they are trying to keep me away from my contractor..._

"No, Chrno, we are not keeping you from her. Her room is with the militia, not the girl's dormitory, you are free to visit her there any time you wish," the priest told him, correctly interpreting the look.

"Father Remington!" Sister Kate exclaimed.

The minister put up a hand to forestall her arguments. "I insist. He'll want to be sure she's okay any time he feels the need and he _is_ helping us as Satella is."

"Agreed," the nun said reluctantly. "Under protest."

"Now, let's go see the Elder."

xxx

Rosette released a very unbecoming squeak of surprise as she was swept off the ground by Chrno's strong arm and held against his side. Faster than she thought possible, he had the Elder in a grip by the shirt.

"Chrno, stop!" she cried at the same time Remington did.

The demon hesitated, his attention moving from the old man to the woman in his grip.

"He wasn't attacking me," she told him. "Well, not in the way you think. Please let him go."

Chrno's violet eyebrows raised in disbelief, but complied, setting the man down and releasing Rosette.

The nun suddenly clobbered the old man. "You pervert!" She felt Chrno's surprise at the sudden violence. She simply gave him amused, twinkling eyes, before turning back to the dirty old man. "What do you have to say for yourself _this_ time?"

"I didn't even have time to see anything before the demon grabbed me," the Elder protested. "You are so mean to spoil an old man's fun."

Crimson eyes stared at the unafraid old man.

Father Remington chuckled. "Chrno, this is the Elder, our resident genius and pervert. He likes to peak under the girl's dresses. All of the girls are able to protect themselves around him as he's relatively harmless." Chrno growled as the Elder made another move toward his contractor's chest and Remington sighed. "This is where you'll be staying. Elder, meet Chrno."

The old man stopped trying to grope Rosette and blinked owlishly at the violet-haired demon. "So you're the demon everyone is saying Rosette freed."

"I didn't!" Rosette protested. "Father Remington did. It's not like I did it on accident or anything. I only made a contract with him. Everyone acts like its always my fault when bad things happen and they're all afraid of Chrno so of course it's _my_ fault too."

The Elder chuckled. "Well, you my blossomed beauty are my favorite weapon's tester and so when they malfunction I let you take the blame."

"I know! It was not my fault that demon was released on Order grounds. _You_ were the one who put it into a bullet! Yet I got bathroom duty for a month. It just isn't fair."

"I do have a new kind of _Spirit_ I'd like you to try out here somewhere..."

"No!" Rosette and Father Remington cried.

"Ah well. You're no fun. So, we're going to try attaching horns to this one?"

"Attaching them won't be the problem. It's how well they'll work," Chrno stated absently, glancing around the cluttered, dusty workshop.

"Well, so long as you allow me to do some tests on demon astral absorption, I'll see if I can't come up with a better idea later."

Chrno's suspicious flared so fiercely Rosette jumped.

"So Chrno, first, that room over there will be yours. It's a bit dusty, but otherwise clean, and it has a bed. Just be careful of my experiments, I use a lot of blessed objects and holy items that could be quite painful to you."

"Holy water burns like acid, holy items don't affect us much."

"You know," Rosette began. "I always wondered why we don't use crosses often."

"Something about holy water is deadly to us, but I can pick up a bible or crucifix with no problems, even blessed ones."

"We'll experiment with that later," the Elder stated to Chrno's horror, then grasped the tall demon by the arm and dragged him to the far side of the big room where a silver box sat on a cluttered, wooden table. Inside the box lay a pair of shimmering horns that looked like they had been carved by seashells or pearls.

Rosette watched Chrno stare into the box nervously. "What type of demon did these come from?" the devil asked.

"Rosette," the Elder prodded.

The nun glanced into the box and gasped. "You _kept_ those!" She threw the Elder a disgusted look. "You'd save anything, wouldn't you?" Turning to Chrno, she explained. "The very first demon I killed was what we nicknamed the Mermaid, since that is what she looked like. You know, from the legends of seamen seeing maidens in the water with fishtails? She looked exactly like that but with horns. Those horns. We've never seen another like her since and she required even new recruits like me to join in the fight. I shot off her horns and that is what killed her. I knew the Elder had examined her body, but to keep her horns for this long..."

She felt sick. She knew that demon needed to be stopped, but it was the first thing she had ever killed before. She hadn't even stepped on bugs as a child. It still bothered her, even after all this time, to snuff out any life. Even a demon's. She just did it because she knew she was saving more lives than the one she was taking. But sometimes she wondered, was it the right thing to do?

Staring into the box, she began to doubt.

xxx

Chrno could feel remorse from his contractor. She had been forced to kill and she felt guilty for it, like he often had. She was remembering her first kill with pain - a familiar pain. A human feeling pain at killing a demon. This woman was as strange to her own kind as he was to his. She felt the same remorse he had at death and she pushed onward despite it. Like he had.

This woman was a danger to him, he realized suddenly. When Aion had begun to fear Magdalene's possession, he had killed her after Chrno refused to do so. Aion hadn't regretted it even though he had liked the woman, he just did it out of necessity. Like most demons, Aion had no problem killing. Aion would still be furious with him over his rebellion against their goal and would resort to any means to make Chrno suffer for it.

He could not have any sort of feelings of kinship with this girl. Aion would not hesitate to take someone simply because they were important to him. He'd use it against him and he suddenly felt real fear. His contractor _could_ come to mean something more to him if he let this continue. He had always been soft-hearted, so his protectiveness of her hadn't made him worry overmuch. After all, he had a duty to watch out for her, she was giving her life so that he could live. Though if Aion was truly fixated on her, she was already in danger and it wasn't because of him.

But the way the contract's side effects were growing and it frightened him. It already felt as if he were betraying his unique feelings for Magdalene. She had awakened him to love and while her death was not fresh in his mind, he still grieved. The time he had spent sealed passed slowly for him, after all. The pain had dulled with time.

But to find a girl he was compelled towards immediately and in only two days know that this girl could become _much_ more to him? He was startled and panicked. Was love so fragile, so fleeting that as soon as another woman came into his life, the old love faded away?

He still loved Magdalene; he knew it, felt it, and missed her. But this woman's mind was so startling with her desire to protect her brother, her pain and guilt and remorse over any death, so much like his own, and yet she was so completely different from Magdalene's gentle personality.

He knew he'd protect his contractor, what he hadn't counted on was _wanting_ to. Was she simply a comrade, a friend like Aion and the rest of the Sinners had been or another love? He hadn't even gotten a chance to know her yet. Or maybe it was both? _Could two people who loved be friends too?_

Rosette gave him an odd look and he locked his mind down. _:Please tell me you didn't get everything I was just thinking!:_

She shook her head and he sighed in relief. _:I just felt surprise, fear, and confusion. Then I heard something about two people who loved being friends too. To answer that question: yes, Chrno, the best relationships are built on friendship, trust, desire, and love.:_

He gave her a half-smile. _:Thanks.:_

_:You're welcome.:_

"These came from a demon with a dolphin-like tail, right? A woman on the top, dolphin tailed, and four breasts?" Chrno asked Rosette aloud for the benefit of the other occupants of the room.

She nodded.

"Well, she wasn't a legion, so that's good. Her name was Seedhill."

"You knew her?"

"She was in Pandemonium the last time I saw her, which was just before Aion and I rebelled with the rest of the Sinners. She was a love of mine."

Rosette winced. "I'm sorry I killed your lover."

Chrno shook his head, sending the purple braid over a shoulder. "I didn't really have any emotional attachment to her. It was a way to pass the time."

"I'm still sorry. Must be odd seeing part of your lover in a box."

Chrno glanced at Rosette. "Maybe lover isn't the right word, but I can't think of another that isn't really crude. The bad news is Seedhill was a weaker devil. So I guess we'll see how this works. I'm going to switch to my natural form." Staring into his contractor's blue eyes, he switched to thought. _:If I run out of astral, my form will automatically switch back, but I should have enough warning to tell you to unseal the watch. We shouldn't need it though. I don't want to test that until we figure out where these side effects are coming from exactly.:_

She nodded, hand reaching up unconsciously to clasp the watch in nervousness.

Chrno released his restraint, his real form emerging. He could feel the power flowing through him, felt Rosette step out of the way of the long, metal appendage that settled behind him. He nearly flushed. He had forgotten to leave that out with the wings. He left it alone instead of messing with his form.

_:Is that a tail?:_ he heard his contractor muse to herself.

"No, not exactly," Chrno replied, startling the men in the room. He ignored them and reached out for the horns. He released the clasp again his head so that the still open wounds where his horns should be were exposed and set the base of Seedhill's horn against one side. He felt her legion react to his and almost snap into place as it fused itself to his head, and like a parasite, it burned so painfully he fell to a knee in surprise. He could bear it, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

He forgot to block the pain from his contractor.

She screamed for him.

xxx

**AN:** Well another chapter! I've almost caught up to all the written pages I have.

**Fic Plug:** The Curing Kiss by Snoosh (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/2668743/1/The(underscore)Curing(underscore)Kiss) - It's a nice read. Unique for the most part and it is fairly good. Check it out.

Lovies!


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